The Prince of Amnesia!
by tsuyuzamu
Summary: Ryouma Echizen loses his memories once again... except it's at Rikkai! And now the Rikkai regulars must take responsibility for the amnesic boy, and are given the challenge of restoring his memories before the end of afternoon practice! Talk about a drag, man! (Rikkai/Ryouma, though there will be individual/different endings)
1. Taking Responsibility

Genichirou Sanada couldn't remember how it happened, and he wasn't quite sure just _what_ happened. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that while he _should've_ been helping out his best friend and captain Seiichi Yukimura watch over the tennis club, instead, there was an unconscious boy by the name of Ryouma Echizen in his care. Honestly, maybe if the boy wasn't standing so close to the edge of the stairs, he wouldn't have fallen over and knocked his head unconscious. But Yukimura made Sanada take responsibility for being the one to surprise him by yelling at him so loudly, and thus, Sanada now sat in the school's clinic with a sleeping Ryouma Echizen. Thank goodness the nurse was out, or there would have been one too many questions he would have had to answer about why a **_Seigaku_** student was on **_Rikkai_** grounds. Sanada folded his arms and sighed in exasperation as he waited for Ryouma to finally wake up so he could apologize, give him a quick lecture on the proper way to spy, send him back, apologize to Kunimitsu Tezuka for the mess, and then _finally_ return to the tennis courts. Sanada sighed again, and glanced at the sleeping adolescent. The child slept so peacefully, and so quietly. He also appeared so... vulnerable.

Sanada had to admit, after Kantou, he had quite the interest in Ryouma. He was only a twelve-year-old and a freshman, just a _prince._ And yet he defeated Sanada, the _Emperor._ And his interest in the emerald-haired boy only increased twice-fold when the boy defeated both Keigo Atobe the _King_ and Yukimura, the _Child of God_, for goodness sake. Ryouma was truly a force to be reckoned with. And yet here he was now, just a small, peaceful, sleeping child. Sanada gazed at the boy for some time, slowly leaning downwards to get a better view of his face. "And then when you wake up, you'll be a foul-mouthed brat..."

Just then, as if fate were working it's strings, Ryouma mewled softly, his eyes slowly opening. He sat up and turned to Sanada sleepily, blinking several times. Sanada only blushed, and immediately backed away, turning his head. "E-Echizen! It's about time you woke up!"

"U-Um... huh?"

"I am sincerely sorry for surprising you earlier, and I did not mean for you to fall down the stairs. However, you shouldn't have been standing so close to the edge, and you are only lucky that Niou had caught you before you rolled down the rest of the stairs. But as said before, I surprised you, and I must take responsibility. So - "

 _"U-UM..._ please listen to me..." Ryouma murmured meekly, hunching his shoulders like a shy schoolgirl. He averted his golden eyes nervously, and wrung the white blanket embarrassingly as he blinked several times. "I don't really know where I am... and who you are. And I can't remember what happened either. I just woke up and found myself here..."

Sanada blinked once. Then twice. "... You're kidding right?"

"N-No... I'm sorry?"

Sanada continued to stare at Ryouma with such intensity that the poor boy shriveled back in fear, almost hiding under his blanket. Then once realizing that he was only scaring the child, with a soft sigh, the black-haired teen unfolded his arms and propped them on his knees, making a stressed expression. "You're NOT kidding... you really don't remember anything. This is like nationals all over again... and Tezuka is really going to snap when he finds out."

"Te-Tezuka...? Who's that? He sounds familiar..." Ryouma asked softly, cocking his head curiously. His golden eyes were wide with interest, and his emerald hair bounced as he shifted in bed. The amnesic Ryouma looked like a kitten, and Sanada had to literally step on his own foot to keep himself from blushing (and it also kept away certain urges, thank god). "Te-Tezuka is your captain... because you're in the tennis club at your school, Seigaku. You're the ace, their 'super rookie'. And if your captain, Tezuka, finds out that you knocked your head against the ground and got _amnesia,_ he'll surely unleash some sort of hell."

"Tezuka... captain... yes! I remember! He's always frowning!" Ryouma beamed. Sanada nodded, and opened his mouth to speak again when just then, the clinic doors opened, and in came in Yanagi. "Genichirou? How is the Seigaku bo - Oh, it seems that he is awake now."

"Y-Yes... he is. But there's a problem..."

"Who are you?" Ryouma suddenly chirped, smiling brightly. "You're really tall. You must drink lots and lots of milk."

Yanagi stopped in his tracks, caught by surprise. He didn't know the boy Ryouma Echizen very well or personally, but he had heard lots about him from his friend Sadaharu Inui. Not to mention, he had seen the boy before many times, and from his many up-close observations of Ryouma, the boy certainly wasn't one to _smile_ cheerfully and greet him in such a sunny manner. Yanagi forced a polite smile, and nodded. "Ah... th-thank you... you are Echizen Ryouma, yes? From Seigaku?"

"Yeah, I remember that my name is Echizen Ryouma, I'm twelve, and I... I... I don't know. But **oji-san** here says that I am in the tennis club at Seigaku, and that my captain is the frowny-man Tezuka." Ryouma replied, causing Sanada to literally almost fall on his back while sitting on a stool. Because... OJI-SAN. RYOUMA HAD JUST CALLED HIM _OJI-SAN._ Sanada coughed and cleared his throat, staring at Ryouma nervously and ignoring Yanagi's stifled laughter in the background. "I am NOT an oji-san... I'm fifteen-years-old, for your information."

Ryouma gasped in shock, and gave him an apologetic smile. "S-Sorry... you don't look fifteen though..."

"Many people think that... however, they are wrong. I am fifteen, and I am only a third-year. I am NOT in my thirties, and nor am I a teacher, if that's what you were thinking before." Sanada stated haughtily, and Ryouma sucked all the information in eagerly, nodding along. "Okay, _onii-chan._ I understand. But you haven't told me your names yet. I can't call you all 'onii-chan'!"

Yanagi smiled and took a few steps forward, "I'm Yanagi Renji, and this one is Sanada Genichirou. We are both fifteen. Echizen-kun, it seems that you have some form of temporary amnesia, since you still remember who you are. However... this cannot be swept under the rug. Do you think that you could try to remember everything else about you?"

Ryouma pursed his lips, and then smiled cutely, radiating beams of sunshine and daisies. "I'm Echizen Ryouma, and I'm twelve! And I... I like cats...?"

Yanagi almost dropped his book, whilst Sanada nearly died of a "moe-attack". Was it bad that the two Rikkai third-years were quickly preferring Amnesic!Ryouma over the normal Ryouma? Yanagi smiled nervously, and turned to Sanada. He leaned down and whispered into the fellow teenager's ear, "This isn't looking good. Echizen-kun seems to only remember who he is, and nothing else. We must take responsibility, Genichirou."

"Yes, I agree..." Sanada nodded. Just then, he felt something vibrate in his pocket, and it took him a long moment to realize that it was his smart phone. He previously had an old model, just a normal flip phone, but Yukimura had got him the smart phone as a present, so naturally he would have used it for Yukimura's sake. However, Sanada wasn't the _best_ at using the darn thing. Even though it would only be a matter of time before he conquered the art of using touch-screens, for now, he was simply learning to cope. He took it out of his shorts pockets, realizing that Yukimura must have slipped it in there so that he could apologize to Tezuka via texting, and unlocked the screen (which took at least two minutes because Sanada had not realized he was sliding his finger the wrong way). It was a text from Tezuka:

 _ **WHER IS ECHTZN?**_

 _ **I'M SORY. I MEAN ECHIZEEN.**_

 _ **WHERE. IS. ECHIZEN.**_

Sanada snorted. It seemed that Tezuka, too, had problems with the smart phone. He then cursed himself for being the same, and struggled to reply back as Yanagi went to further question Ryouma.

 **HE IS STI L HERRE. BAD NEWS.  
**

 _ **WHAT IS TEH BUD NWS? WHAT. IS. THE. BAD. NEWS?**_

 **AMNESIA. TEMPIRY. AMNES IA.  
**

 _ **AMNESIA?! WHAT. HAPPENED?**_

 **HE WAS SPING. SPYING. OR WATHING. WATCHING. I DO NOT KONW. TOO CLOSE TO STAIR EDGES. I YELL. HE SURPRISE AND FALL. I AM SORRY.  
**

 _ **YOU FORGVEN. WHAT IS ECHZN CONDI TION?**_

 **AMNESIA. HEALTHY THOOUGH.  
**

 _ **AFTERNOON PRACTICE JUST BEGIN. YOU RESPONSIBLE. HELP RESTRE MEMORIES. RETURN AT END.**_

 **THAT IS CRAZY.  
**

 _ **YOU RESONISBLEE. TAKE CARE OF HIM. GODBYEE.**_

With the last text sent, Sanada sighed in exasperation, getting the urge to take several aspirin pills. He then turned to Yanagi and said, "Tezuka is leaving it up to us to restore Echizen's memories. We have to help restore his memories before the end of practice."

Yanagi, in a rare case, opened his eyes in absolute disbelief. "What?! We'll only have a few hours to do that! We couldn't possibly..."

"Yes. Yes we can." Sanada insisted, staring at the confused Ryouma. "We can do it because we are the Kings, and because we are Rikkai. We must perceive this as a challenge from Seigaku. However... what will Yukimura say? And we have to make sure that he doesn't wander around and cause trouble to the others."

"I imagine that Seiichi will be amused and interested in something like this..." Yanagi murmured, also turning to Ryouma. "Don't worry, I am also sure we will be able to keep an eye on him."

Sanada sighed, rubbing his aching eyes. How the hell did this mess start again...?

* * *

 **A/N:  
**

 **Hiya, hiya! HitmanTargetsYou here! I hope you will enjoy this story! ^^**

 **Anyways, I could've used the English counterparts for 'oji-san' and 'onii-chan', however the romaji sounds cuter, so I will be sticking with those. I hope you will not mind. So, review if there are any problems and enjoy the read! :D**


	2. Learning the Basics!

"Genichirou... Renji. Would the two of you care to explain why the Seigaku boy is NOT back at Seigaku - _where he should be_ \- but is currently following you onto our courts, clinging onto Genichirou's arm like a lost child?"

Yukimura didn't look the slightest bit pleased that Ryouma was still on Rikkai grounds. Even though he was smiling, Sanada knew the bluenet long enough to be able to tell that it was not just an ordinary smile, but one foretelling torture, and then ultimately, _death._ Normally Sanada would have said something snarky, but whenever Yukimura got dark, it was best not to prod at his temper. Sanada cleared his throat, and tried to pull Ryouma's arm off his (but to no avail). "Yukimura... you see, he seemed to have hit his head hard enough to get temporary amnesia. So Tezuka declared that we help return his memories before the end of afternoon practice."

"Tezuka said that himself?" Yukimura raised an eyebrow. "Hm... a challenge from Seigaku, coming from the captain himself. Well... I accept his challenge."

Yukimura then turned to Ryouma, and gestured for him to come. Ryouma quivered a bit, and hesitantly took one step away from Sanada before immediately darting behind Yanagi. He peeked out from behind the tall data master and studied Yukimura for a bit, then deciding that Yukimura was trust-worthy and safe. He emerged from behind Yanagi and walked towards Yukimura with a smile. "Hi! I'm Ryouma! Echizen Ryouma!"

Yukimura was too shocked with Ryouma's change-of-character. He blinked several times before smiling again, waving. "You're quite the chipper one. I'm Yukimura Seiichi, the captain of this tennis club. It's a pleasure to meet you again, Echizen-kun."

Ryouma nodded, and then immediately darted behind Yanagi's back again once he caught sight of an approaching crowd. Making their way to the trio was the other regulars, whom were also curious about why Ryouma Echizen had not yet left Rikkai grounds and was currently coming onto their courts. The first to arrive was the black sea-weed haired (though none had the balls to tell him that other than his senpai) Akaya Kirihara, who stared at Ryouma with curiosity. "What's the brat still doin' here? And why's he hidin' behind Yanagi-senpai like some toddler?"

"Oh? He seems a little more... childish, doesn't he?" Commented the spectacled Hiroshi Yagyuu, who arrived second. He adjusted his glasses, and peered at Ryouma with vague interest. "I'm also curious as to why he is still here."

"Maybe he wants to switch schools? I mean, I don't blame him, cause Rikkai is obviously superior to every other school." The rat-tailed Masaharu Niou piped up from behind Yagyuu, slinging one arm around his shoulders. The red-head Bunta Marui and proudly-bald Brazilian Kuwahara Jackal were the last ones to the circle of regulars, and Marui stared at the trembling boy with light amusement. "Look at the kid! He's shivering! Is this baby _really_ the ace of Seigaku? He looked tougher during Kantou and Nationals..."

"Don't tease him, Bunta." Jackal scolded, and folded his arms. "What's going on? Why's he still here?"

"After his fall, he apparently got amnesia... so Seigaku's captain has given us the task of restoring his memories." Yukimura explained, much to Sanada's relief. The fuku-buchou wasn't in the mood to repeat himself again. "Listen up everyone, we must not take this challenge so lightly. We are Rikkai, the Kings! Even if we must win something as strange as this, we will always prove Rikkai's superiority! Do you all understand?"

"Yes!"

"Then do your best to help him remember! And now, introduce yourselves to the shy boy." Yukimura smiled brightly, and gestured to Kirihara. "Akaya first, since he is Rikkai's ace."

Kirihara raised an eyebrow and took a step forward, not speaking until Ryouma hesitantly peeked out from behind the amused Yanagi. Kirihara sighed and ruffled his messy hair, staring at Ryouma as though he were only just a nuisance (he was also starting to think that he was a nuisance, too). "Man, I can't believe that I have to re-introduce myself to this weak kid... Kirihara Akaya, fourteen, and I DO NOT HAVE SEA-WEED HAIR, just in case you were going to say that."

"O-Okay..."

Next was the too-cheerful Marui, who gave him his trademark peace-sign. "Marui Bunta, fifteen, the genius of the tennis club!"

"Don't lie to him, Bunta." Jackal said, earning a smack to the head. The Brazilian glared at the red-head for a second before turning to Ryouma. "Jackal Kuwahara, fifteen, and no, I do not have any diseases that cause hair loss. I shaved my head on my own."

"Right..." Ryouma murmured, slowly coming out from behind Yanagi, feeling a little less intimidated by the new strangers. Yagyuu smiled at him politely, folding his arms and fixing his glasses once again. "I am Yagyuu Hiroshi, fifteen. It's nice to meet you, Echizen-kun."

"And I'm Yagyuu's boyfriend, Niou Masaharu, fifteen too." Niou smirked, earning a glare from Yagyuu. "It would do us all a favor if you can stop spreading rumors that way, Niou-kun.", and he then turned to Ryouma, smiling apologetically. "We aren't dating. I should have you know now that Niou-kun is quite the trickster, so watch out for his pranks and lies, Echizen-kun."

"Aw, you're no fun..." Niou pouted, and turned to Ryouma. "So... you really don't remember anything?"

"Nothing at all." Ryouma shook his head. "You guys will help me?"

"Of course..." Yukimura cooed softly, making Ryouma blush at his gentleness. "Um... how, though?"

There was a moment of silence. Not one of the regulars knew how to answer that, not even their beloved data master. Because... how? How were they going to help him remember everything in the span of one afternoon practice with little to no idea of how they were going to do it? Yes, Sanada had helped Ryouma overcome his amnesia during nationals by playing against him, but was tennis all it would take to help him this time? And another factor that assisted Ryouma were his senpai. His senpai certainly weren't here, and no one at Rikkai were particularly close with the boy. Not even Kirihara, who played against Ryouma in an unofficial match, or Marui and Jackal, who watched said unofficial match. Yukimura definitely wasn't close to him either, he _lost_ against him! In NATIONALS! The one closest would've been just Sanada, since Ryouma had pursued Sanada outside of the courts during Kantou.

Sanada turned to the emerald-haired boy, sighing. He was about to open his mouth when Kirihara suddenly grinned mischievously, saying, "Well you know, in manga, characters who get amnesia from head trauma always got their memories back after another blow to the head. So maybe if I knock the living daylights out of him with a tennis ball, it might do some good."

"You will do no such thing!" Sanada exclaimed, making Kirihara shrug. "Just a suggestion. I'm always up for it."

Yanagi turned to Ryouma, cocking his head. "Perhaps if we re-teach him the basics of tennis, it will help him at least remember how to play tennis properly. Seiichi, perhaps you can teach him all the essentials a beginner needs to know, and then he can observe practice. I also believe that us regulars should all take turns in assisting Ryouma to remember, since Tezuka-san had asked us to. So then, perhaps if he had his racquet with him as well..."

"Ah, I left his tennis bag in the clinic... I'll bring it back." Sanada suddenly remembered, and began to leave to return to the clinic. Yanagi nodded, and scanned the courts, staring at the club members who were still practicing. They did not seem to notice that Ryouma was still at Rikkai, nor did they seem interested in what the regulars were crowding around. They must've thought it was another regulars meeting of some sort. Yanagi then turned back to Ryouma, unzipping his jersey. "I'll need you to take off this jersey. It would serve less of a distraction to the other club members, and it would seem less suspicious. Do one of you mind handing over your jersey?"

"I'll let him borrow mine." Yukimura volunteered, taking his beloved jersey off his shoulders and placing it over Ryouma's. "Make sure nothing happens to this jersey, okay, Echizen-kun? I trust you, so don't let me down."

Ryouma nodded, hugging the yellow jersey around himself. "Yeah! It smells really nice!"

"Thank you." Yukimura smiled, and to be honest with himself, Ryouma looked extremely adorable in the over-sized yellow jersey. His sleeves slipped over Ryouma's hands, and it seemed almost like a dress on him, just barely inches above his knees. If anything, the jacket made him seem more younger than ever before. Ryouma didn't seem to mind, however, and wore it comfortably. Once he realized that the zipper couldn't go any further up, he pouted for a few seconds before turning back to everyone else. "Look you guys! I lost my head!"

Just then, the boy pulled the jersey up, hiding his head underneath the turtleneck. There was a moment of silence as the regulars stood in confusion, unsure of how to respond to the boy's sudden move. Well... at least all of the regulars but one. Kirihara was strangely utterly _delighted_ with Ryouma's trick, clapping his hands and beaming like a child. "Whoa! That was cool, Echizen! Amazing!"

"Oh, I had completely forgotten..." Marui murmured, making a distressed expression. "We also have a small five-year-old on our team..."

"Shut up, Marui-senpai! That really was cool!"

"Right..." Marui rolled his eyes, then spinning his racquet around in his hands. "Well, why don't you go learn the basics now? Then I can show you my genius skills, kiddo."

Ryouma nodded eagerly, turning to Yukimura and bowing. "Please teach me, Yukimura-niisan!"

Yukimura's violet eyes widened in surprise at the suffix used, then shaking it off, rather pleased by Ryouma's words. He smiled politely, and gave the also-surprised regulars a quick glare as a warning to keep their mouths shut. "Of course, Echizen-kun. But since I'm captain, I can't spend all my time with you... so I hope that you are fine with learning from the other regulars as well, Echizen-kun."

"I'll be okay with that... I think..." Ryouma replied, slowly smiling. "I'm excited to learn tennis! Please treat me well, senpai-tachi!"

With that last comment said by the Seigaku first-year, something struck each of the regulars in the heart. They didn't know what it was, but something about Ryouma made them all fired up. It was in that moment when Sanada came speeding back with Ryouma's racquet bag, handing it over to the emerald boy before noticing that he was wearing a Rikkai jersey... and looked _extremely_ adorable in it. Not that he would verbally admit it, of course. "E-Echizen... you are..."

"It's my jersey, Genichirou." Yukimura smiled, waving his hand. "Don't worry. I trust him with it."

"M-Mm... anyways, take out your racquet, Echizen. I don't know if holding your racquet will do anything, but it might help." Sanada suggested, and Ryouma obeyed. He unzipped the racquet bag and took out his red racquet, holding it in his hands and peering at it curiously. "Mm... I don't really know how to use this... but for some reason, it feels _right._ As though it  belongs in my hands... like it's rightfully mine."

"Good. You're supposed to be feeling that." Yukimura murmured. "You're already adjusting. Everyone, go back to your training. But when it is your turn to train Echizen-kun, be prepared and be patient. He may not know everything right off the bat, so don't be rash, especially _you_ Akaya."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it..." Kirihara grumbled, stalking away. "I'll be waiting, Echizen."

"Bye, Echizen~"

"See ya later."

Sanada turned to Yukimura and nodded. "Well... I'm depending on you, Yukimura. Good luck."

He and Yanagi then left the two tennis players to themselves, and Yukimura immediately started by showing him his light-blue racquet. "This here is a racquet, as you may have already figured out. It's the most basic, but easily the most _important_ thing a tennis player needs in order to play, for obvious reasons. Here is the grip, make sure that you hold it firmly, but comfortably in your hands. Not too tight, and not too loose. There are three standard grips: the eastern grip, continental grip, and western grip. Eastern grip is when the racquet is held as though one is shaking hands. It's a rather common type of grip, and one of the most versatile grips. The continental grip is a very basic grip, held as though one is holding an axe. Then the western grip is when the racquet is held as though one is picking up their racquet from the ground. The eastern and western grip are often mistook for one another by rookies, though. It's a common misunderstanding, so it's best to learn the difference."

"I... know that. For some reason, I feel as though I already told that to someone else... hm." Ryouma murmured, and Yukimura shrugged. "You probably did, and you just can't remember. Now, next is..."

Ryouma nodded along, trying his best to understand everything that was said to him. Yukimura continued to teach him all there was to know about tennis, glancing at the eager boy every so often. And as he continued to instruct him, the bluenet found himself slowly gazing at Ryouma for much longer than was necessary, and his voice almost trailed off several times. At one point he completely forgot what he was talking about. The boy looked so _excited,_ and his natural ability to observe and quickly learn was obviously kicking in. He couldn't even remember what tennis was, yet here he was now, already falling in love with the sport again. The way he urged for Yukimura to continue teaching him, the way he was always wanting to know more and more, and the way that he listened so quietly yet eagerly. Yukimura had to admit, he absolutely _admired_ that.

Ryouma's golden eyes practically had stars in them. Yukimura smiled softly, and brushed a strand of hair behind his ear, chuckling. "You're quite the eager boy when you have amnesia, Echizen-kun."

"What am I usually like? The me that remembers everything?" Ryouma asked, cocking his head. The curiosity was clearly genuine, and Yukimura couldn't help but to laugh again. "You're a brat who can't seem to stop your snarky and sassy behavior in respect for those older than you!"

"... i-is that so?"

"Yep!" Yukimura chirped. Then, his smile softened, and he turned to Ryouma again. "But you are quite the talent with tennis. You may not remember, but you and I had a match before. As much as I tried my best to win, _your_ true potential awakened at the last second, and I lost. Ah, even though I feel as though I should be bitter, strangely, I am not..."

"You're not?" Ryouma repeated, eyes wide. Then, he shifted his gaze towards his racquet, pursing his lips. "But... I find it hard to believe. Me beating you in tennis, that is... you're so knowledgeable. I wish I can remember how... you seem so amazing, Yukimura-niisan."

"Don't flatter me so much, Echizen-kun... even though you can't remember how you were like before, it's still strange to hear so many nice things coming out of your mouth..." Yukimura laughed, making Ryouma blush. "W-Was I really that much of a brat...? I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. It's not like I minded all that much anyways. In fact, I'm rather grateful to the you before... you helped me realize that tennis wasn't just all about the victories, and the pride. It's also about the emotions, the strength, the tries, and the _fun._ You shouldn't be amazed with me, you should be amazed with yourself." Yukimura replied, staring at Ryouma with gentle eyes. Ryouma blinked again, and pointed at the bluenet. "You're... really pretty, Yukimura-niisan."

Yukimura blinked, and let out a soft laugh. "Well, thank you for that unexpected compliment, Echizen-kun."

"You're welcome!" Ryouma beamed, delighted that he was able to please Yukimura (who did not say it out loud, but found Ryouma's kindness to be a bit creepy since the boy was never really the nicest kid on the block). The bluenet simply pat Ryouma's head, then standing up straight. "Well, I taught you all there was to know. Why don't you run along to the singles court? I heard that Akaya challenged Genichirou again. You should go see what they're up to."

"Y-Yes!" Ryouma nodded, darting off to where Yukimura had pointed. And after he had rushed away, Yukimura chuckled to himself, and turned back to watch the other club members practice their swings. He hadn't really been expecting to grow so attached so quickly, but it couldn't be helped. Ryouma was just that cute. Amnesic!Ryouma, that was... then, Yukimura almost smirked to himself. "But Echizen-kun is still just as cute when he's a brat, isn't he...? I wonder if he'll remember all this too once he gains his memories back."

Chances were, Ryouma would, and Yukimura was hoping that the boy wouldn't forget the talk they had.

* * *

 **A/N:  
**

 **Okay, I've decided that I _will_ do individual endings. So think of it like a visual novel with different endings. I'll write separate chapters of Ryouma regaining his memories back with the other members, then separate endings. Though, regarding the doubles players, do you think that Ryouma should have different endings with either player, or a threesome ending? IDK, I've always been a sucker for threesomes, but then again... oh well. I'll figure it out. Anyways, thank you everyone for reviewing, faving, and following! This chapter wasn't that humorous, but I swear, I'll try to add more humor next chapter!**


	3. Understanding Kirihara Akaya

Renji Yanagi may not have known the Seigaku boy, Ryouma Echizen, very well, but that didn't mean that they were absolute strangers. Yanagi was already fairly familiar with him, and he knew a lot of things about him (Yanagi wasn't called the Master for nothing, ah ha ha). He knew things such as Ryouma's intense love for his cat (the data master had yet to figure out the cat's name), his obsession with grape Ponta, and his frequent visits to a fast-food place with his senpai from Seigaku. Of course, there were more things he knew about the boy than just those three things, but most of them were more about his actual tennis playing rather than irrelevant character trivia. Yanagi had to admit, he had never been more interested in Ryouma until now. He usually just ignored the boy, but for some reason, he seemed quite... _eager_ to see him again. Yanagi had reasoned it out to be mere interest in Ryouma's amnesic side, but it sort of seemed to be a little _more_ than just interest. But what did that mean, exactly...?

"Oi Yanagi-senpai, the Seigaku brat's been standing behind you for some time... he's just staring at you like you're some alien. Even though you kinda are."

Yanagi looked up from his notebook to see Kirihara (ignoring his alien comment), who was pointing behind him. Yanagi smiled politely and turned around, and sure enough, there he was, Ryouma Echizen. The small boy simply stood where he was with a bright smile, patiently waiting for Yanagi to say something. But the longer he stood, the more edgy he got, and Ryouma started to fidget in excitement. Yanagi opened his mouth to ask him a question, but that was when Ryouma suddenly blurted, "You're-really-really-tall-so-you-should-totally-tell-me-how-to-get-that-tall-I-wanna-get-that-tall-too!"

Yanagi blinked. He and Kirihara exchanged strange expressions before looking back at Ryouma. "Well... are you drinking milk with your meals? Milk is a good and vital source of calcium, perhaps if you drank more milk with your meals, you would grow taller."

"Hm?" Ryouma pursed his lips, and nodded eagerly. "I think I drink milk. Do you? Wait, we can't be talking about this. I have business to do."

The sudden attempt at a serious expression made Ryouma... incredibly _adorable._ His brows were furrowed and his lips were almost pursed into a pout; the way he tried to be "serious" made Yanagi want to laugh. He instead smiled sheepishly, cocking his head. "Well, did you come here to see Akaya and Genichirou's match?"

"Yes!"

"Well, you came just in time." Yanagi replied, and pointed to the court, where Sanada stood idly on one side, Kirihara almost bouncing around in excitement on the other. Ryouma watched the two with wide eager eyes, waiting anxiously. Yanagi already knew how the match would end, with the way Kirihara was now naturally there would still be a 98% chance of his loss, but while he could've just told Ryouma the spoilers, he decided against his option in order to let Ryouma find out for himself just how strong Sanada was... and how strong he'd gotten since his defeat in Kantou. Not that Ryouma would remember defeating him, of course. He appeared to have gotten familiar with tennis again, and now held his racquet close to his chest, eyes sparkling as he watched Sanada and Kirihara begin their match.

"Are you really so excited to watch your 'first' tennis match?" Yanagi mused, glancing at the beaming Ryouma. Ryouma blinked in surprise and turned to look at Yanagi before nodding eagerly. "Yeah! I bet I've seen tons and tons of matches before, but I feel really weird... like this is all foreign and magical. I can't wait to see what happens."

"And who do you think will win, Ryouma?" Yanagi questioned, tilting his head. Ryouma pondered for a moment before smiling brightly, his golden eyes softening. "It doesn't matter the winner. If they both look like they're having fun, then they've both won the match."

Yanagi's eyes opened, and he stared at Ryouma in slight surprise. Yeah, what he said was rather cliche, but no matter how many times Yanagi would hear things like that, it still caught him off-guard hearing it from Ryouma. He gazed at Ryouma for a long time before turning his attention back to the match. It wasn't silent between the both of them, however, they did talk about match, commentating on whatever happened. Ryouma seemed particularly interested in Kirihara.

"He's got amazing dedication..." Ryouma murmured, golden eyes filled with inspiration. "Kirihara-niisan is really cool. But Sanada-niisan is cool too..."

"Niisan?" Yanagi asked, raising an eyebrow. Ryouma didn't answer, not hearing him over his awe over the match, but Yanagi didn't mind. He watched the match alongside Ryouma and switched his attention between Kirihara and Sanada. He had to admit, he could somewhat see the sight that Ryouma could see. There was such strength in their eyes, determination in their swings, dedication to victory in their playstyle. Kirihara was a truly good kouhai, and while he was still immature and naive, Yanagi never once regret agreeing with Yukimura that Kirihara would be the one to lead their team to Nationals next year. Yanagi smiled softly, turning to Ryouma. "I already know who will win, and nothing can change the belief that I have that there will only ever be one winner. But... I can see what you meant when you said that they'll both win, if they're having 'fun'."

Ryouma nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah..."

The match ended with Kirihara's loss, of course, but thankfully Kirihara didn't go into Bloodshot mode. He accepted his loss, though it may not have been gracefully ("DAMN IT SANADA-FUKU-BUCHOU, I SWEAR THAT I'LL KICK YOUR ASS SOONER OR LATER! ALL THREE OF YOU 'DEMONS'! ONE DAY, JUST YOU WAIT, AND I WON'T NEED THIS 'DEVIL MODE', CAUSE I'LL BE EVEN STRONGER THAN SATAN HIMSELF! ARRGH!"), he didn't bug Sanada any further than that. Though Sanada left to watch over the rest of the club members practice, Yanagi strayed off to a different court, practicing his swinging and doing mental imaging. And while he did this, he noticed that Ryouma hadn't left his side, and now sat on a bench, watching Yanagi train with an entertained expression. Yanagi stopped momentarily, turning to Ryouma. "What are you doing, Echizen-kun? Don't you want to gain your memories back? You should be with the Doubles players right now..."

Ryouma blinked, and blushed, tilting his head downwards. "Y-Yeah... but I don't know how to approach _him..."_

"'Him'?" Yanagi questioned. "Who do you mean?"

"Ki-Kirihara-niisan..." Ryouma replied, eyes wide. "I've gotten back some memories... and for some reason I keep getting flashes of him..."

Ryouma winced in pain, and Yanagi immediately made his way to the adolescent. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"A-Ah, it's nothing... I'm not hurt at all..." Ryouma replied hastily, standing up and shaking his arms. His gaze turned almost fearful, and he pursed his lips. "I just... keep getting strange images of him... that he... that he's hurting me..."

Ryouma was getting flashbacks of his and Kirihara's match before the Kantou regions tournament. Yanagi knew that that was a good sign, meaning that Ryouma was gaining his memories back rather quickly, however, it would be bad if he suddenly became scared of tennis due to Kirihara's violent behavior... then they wouldn't be able to coax him into remembering everything through tennis. And they couldn't just return him to Seigaku in defeat, Rikkai wasn't one to leave messes. Yanagi knew that only one thing could be done... and hopefully, it would work. Yanagi forced a small smile, looking at Ryouma with his closed eyes. "Echizen-kun, why don't you go talk with Akaya? You should observe him further, and maybe you'll understand a few things about him. The reasons why you see him 'hurting' you is because you are remembering a match you had with him, but trust me, it would be wise to understand the boy before getting any ideas."

"But I don't know how to... he's so rough and scary..." Ryouma sighed, kicking a stone he saw on the ground. Yanagi looked around the court for a moment before seeing Kirihara running laps at the track. Perhaps Ryouma could train with him, and if Ryouma could just become even slightly acquainted with Kirihara, they coud avoid any possible panic attacks. "Echizen-kun, you should train with Akaya. He's running over there, on the track... talking with him will help you. And it's wise if you be patient with him, because Akaya is rather childish."

Ryouma nodded, and bowed down, smiling cheerfully. "Th-Thank you, Yanagi-niisan!"

He dashed off to where Yanagi had pointed, not seeing the soft smile forming on the Data master's face.

* * *

"Damn fuku-buchou... I'll beat him one day... I'll beat all three of them... then I'll be the best in Japan..."

"Kirihara-niisan!"

"So what if I lose every time we have a match? That doesn't mean shit... I'll win next time... just gotta do more training..."

"Kirihara-niisan! Please wait for me!"

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, I'll have to beat everyone at Seigaku too... especially the brat. Too bad I can't do that now cause - "

"Kirihara-niisan!"

Kirihara had been roughly pulled out of his thoughts when he felt something tackle him from behind with such intensity that he fell to the ground. Arms were wrapped rightly around his waist, and something rather heavy was lying right on top his back. Kirihara, initially pissed that someone dared tackle him while he was running, had turned around with plans to sock the idiot one when he saw a grinning twelve year old clinging to his body like some baby. He stopped mid-punch, his fist directly above the Seigaku boy's head, and he blinked. "What the fuck? What are you doing here? Weren't you with Yanagi-senpai?"

"Yeah, but Yanagi-niisan told me to talk to you, because... well... I don't wanna tell you yet..." Ryouma murmured, his golden eyes cloudy with anxiety. His hold around Kirihara softened, but he nuzzled his head against the seaweed head's warm body. Kirihara's cheeks flushed once the thought that Ryouma was being adorable ran through his head, and he ground his knuckles into the boy's head, shouting, "G-GET OF ME, WOULD YA?! You b-baby...!"

Ryouma whimpered, rubbing the sore spot. "Owie... that was really mean..."

Kirihara had never felt his heart beat any faster than the moment he saw Ryouma pouting on top of him. He pushed the boy off, unable to comprehend the feelings that just ran through his body, and started to _glare_ at the Seigaku boy with as much hate as he could muster. _D-Damn it, Akaya! Get it together! That's a BOY! Your fifth biggest rival after his stupid senpai Fuji! And he's annoying, stupid, bratty, immature, arrogant, cocky..._

Ryouma blinked, and cocked his head. "Kirihara-niisan?"

 _... cute, naive, innocent, vulnera - wait, the hell am I thinking?_

"LI-LISTEN UP, SEIGAKU BRAT!" Kirihara suddenly shouted, standing up and pointing at Ryouma with red cheeks. "JU-JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE AMNESIA AND YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THINGS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'LL L-LIKE YOU! YOU'RE STILL AN ANNOYING BRAT, GOT THAT?!

"Ah... okay." Ryouma nodded, sitting up. "Can I run with you, Kirihara-niisan? I still want to talk to you..."

Kirihara pursed his lips. "... Okay. But no funny business!"

"Roger that!" Ryouma beamed, standing up and saluting the older boy. Kirihara almost died before he shook his head, sighing. "Y-Yeah! Now if you can't keep up with me, that's your own fault, got that?!"

"Yes!"

The two began to run, and to Kirihara's surprise, Ryouma was actually able to keep up with him. It wasn't like they were sprinting, of course, they were only jogging, but despite being amnesic, Ryouma did fairly okay in keeping up with Kirihara's pace. That impressed the seaweed head, to his honesty. They had ran in silence for a moment before Kirihara finally sucked up his nerves and asked, "So... you said that Yanagi-senpai told you to talk to me. About what?"

"He didn't say. But..." Ryouma bit his bottom lip, his golden eyes narrowing. "... I keep remembering something."

"What?"

"I... well, it won't do us both any good if I keep this to myself. I keep getting images of you hurting me... laughing at my pain and taunting me." Ryouma replied, his pace slowing down. Kirihara also slowed down, gazing at the ground as he thought over what Ryouma said. He knew that he was flash-backing to the match they had before, but what was he supposed to say? 'Oh yeah, sorry that I beat you up on the first match we had'? Cause that would make everything _so_ much better. How was Kirihara supposed to control it? Whenever he got mad, he'd black out, then find out someone's gotten hurt. It wasn't really his fault... was it?

"I'm... sorry." Kirihara replied awkwardly. His cheeks tinged pink, and oddly enough... Ryouma laughed. Kirihara felt a tick of agitation, and he turned to Ryouma with annoyance. "Y-You little shit! You're laughing when I'm trying to be apologetic?!"

"Sorry, Kirihara-niisan... but you're really weird. You're really awkward too." Ryouma mused, making Kirihara flustered. He almost tripped. "Listen up, you brat! About those 'images' you keep seeing... that's not the real me! That's... well... I don't care what people say, when I go into that mode, I can't control myself! I can't even remember why I do thing like that! I don't really know what to say, but... um... I don't know! Just know that when you see me 'hurting' you, I didn't mean it! I really don't mean to hurt people... I'm not asking for forgiveness, though. If you end up hating me, then... well... I can understand why."

Ryouma stared at the boy for some time, before laughing again. "Okay! I don't hate you! Even though most people would, I actually don't mind all that much. I still enjoyed the match, even if it was painful, and you were a challenge... also... now that I remember our match a little more clearly, I'm not all that scared anymore. Actually, I felt... kinda... kinda like I didn't care. I just wanted to win. I know I told Yanagi-niisan earlier that victory doesn't matter if both the players had fun, but now I feel sort of different about that... oh well. Anyways, what was I like? Before amnesia?"

Kirihara scoffed. "You were a cocky little bastard, that's that what you were."

"... That's what Yukimura-niisan said too... was I really that bad...? I think that maybe after all this, I should fix myself up..."

"Tch. Ya think? I've been so close to bea - er, never mind. A-Anyways, was that all you wanted to talk to me about? Cause we can't run forever. You should go talk to Marui-senpai, or Jackal-senpai now. You haven't learned much about Doubles ye - "

"... Ugh." Ryouma suddenly cringed at the word, averting his eyes. The two stopped running for a moment, and Ryouma suddenly blinked in confusion. "Wait, why did I suddenly do that? Kirihara-niisan, say that word again."

"Doubles?"

"Ew. Ah. I did it again." Ryouma gazed at Kirihara for answers, who shrugged. "I don't know. I've heard that you suck ass at Doubles, but that was just rumors."

"Hm... I must have. Anyways, you should come with me!" Ryouma beamed, and Kirihara shrugged. "Sure, I was getting bored anyways."

It was true, Kirihara had heard rumors of Ryouma's infamous shitty Doubles playing. And admittedly, Kirihara kinda wanted to see if the rumors were true. The two started walking off the track, and back to the court, where Ryouma couldn't seem to shut up about how secretly excited he was to see that 'shiny-niisan' again. Kirihara couldn't stop laughing.

* * *

 **A/N:  
**

 **So next chapter, I'm going to try my best to write a tennis match, knowing I suck ass at that kind of stuff! Wish me luck! :D**

 **Anyways, look forward to the next chapters! I absolutely SUCK at writing humor, and I'm trying my best here, but thank you all for reading!**


	4. DOUBLES SUCKS!

By the time that Kirihara and Ryouma reached the Doubles court, Doubles 1 (Niou/Yagyuu) and Doubles 2 (Jackal/Marui) were already on the courts playing a match. Though it should've been for training only, it was clear that neither side was going light on the other. There was no use hiding their strength, after all, they were teammates playing for the same team. Kirihara gazed between the courts and pointed to one side of the court, elbowing Ryouma and directing his attention to where he was pointing. "You see that white-haired guy?"

"Yeah?"

"That's Niou-senpai. He's a real annoying trickster with an attitude worse than yours. And that brown-haired guy, the one in glasses, that's his partner Yagyuu-senpai. He's strong and stuff, but he's kinda boring when he's not playing tennis. They call him 'The Gentleman'. They're Doubles 1, cause they kick ass when they're together." Kirihara chatted as Ryouma nodded along. He then pointed to the other court. "The bald guy is Jackal-senpai, he's too nice for his own good when he's not on the court. Then the red-head is Marui-senpai, he eats a lot."

Kirihara then leaned towards Ryouma's ear, softly whispering, "Don't tell him I said this, but he's gained a bit of weight...", he then abruptly stood straight again, clearing his throat. "Jackal-senpai and Marui-senpai are Doubles 2 because they're strong alright, really, really strong, but Doubles 1 has all the tricks. Literally. Pun intended. Anyways, you're not even a Doubles player so I don't know why you need to relearn about Doubles, but I don't know, maybe it'd help jog your memories."

"Hm..." Ryouma frowned. "I somehow feel really bitter about this. Like, Doubles is a taboo, and is absolutely stupid."

"You must've really sucked at Doubles then."

"I think I did too." Ryouma nodded in agreement to Kirihara's words. The two continued to watch the match between the two Doubles teams, watching as the ball would bounce back and forth, roll on the net, hit in a straight line like a laser beam, or smash the opposite court with strength. Some time later a switch was revealed, Niou was Yagyuu and Yagyuu was Niou, only for the 'switch' to be a fraud and Niou was actually Niou and Yagyuu was actually Yagyuu. Mind games were played, and Ryouma found himself hating Doubles even _more._ Kirihara, too, didn't really get what was happening in the game, and left it to Yanagi, whom had arrived a few minutes ago, to explain the ordeal. He stood next to Ryouma, watching alongside the two aces. "Ah, Niou and Yagyuu are being as clever as usual. I have a strong feeling that this will end in Doubles 2's loss."

"Um..." Ryouma spoke up feebly. "Why is Niou-niisan and Yagyuu-niisan being so confusing?"

"It's just their tactic. Niou has always been a mysterious one, and Yagyuu simply boosts his tricks and hoaxes. They're strong when they're together, don't you think?" Yanagi replied, and Ryouma turned his attention back to the Doubles players. Some time later the match ended in Doubles 1 victory and Doubles 2 loss, as Yanagi had predicted, but no hard feelings were made (however, Niou made sure to thoroughly tease Marui about the game, and how they could've won if Marui wasn't so 'chubby'). The four Doubles players made their way to the audience of three, where Marui had noticed Ryouma. The red-head grinned brightly, and sent him his peace sign. "So? Was I genius or what?"

"Yeah!" Ryouma beamed, eyes sparkling. "When you made the ball balance on the line, it was so~o cool! And though Shiny-niisan was kinda scary whenever he shouted 'FIRE', he was so strong and he was really, really cool too!"

Marui blinked, staring at Ryouma in shock before breaking into loud laughter. Jackal, on the other hand, was sinking in despair. "Shi-Shiny-niisan?! Why am I 'Shiny-niisan'?! Just call me Jackal!"

Ryouma hummed, and murmured Jackal's name under his breath a few times before looking back up with a huge smile. "Nope! I don't like the way it sounds, so Shiny-niisan it is. Your head is so bright when the sun hits it, so it fits, doesn't it?"

"His brattiness is showing. It's slowly resurfacing from the depths of his amnesia." Niou murmured ominously as Jackal futher sunk into an ocean of depression. Ryouma didn't seem to care, however, and bounced over to Jackal, patting his bald head. "Shiny-niisan is still cool. Don't worry, Shiny-niisan!"

Ryouma then turned to Niou. "Niou-niisan and Yagyuu-niisan were also amazing. But now... now I really want to play Doubles against Niou-niisan and Yagyuu-niisan! I really, really want to play against them! Even though I hate Doubles with a burning passion, I want to play against them too!"

Niou and Yagyuu exchanged looks, the two Doubles players clearly wondering how to answer the boy. They had just finished playing against a tricky Doubles team themselves, but it wouldn't hurt to play against amnesic!Ryouma and another player, would it? Besides, if Ryouma played Doubles, it could jog his memory, and he could rmember himself at a faster pace. After much mental debate, Niou turned to Ryouma, leaning towards him with his hands on his hips, smiling devilishly. "Su~ure! Just find yourself a partner, and let us take a small break. Then we'll take you up on your offer. But, do you even know how to play Doubles?"

"It's the same as Singles, right? Except with two players?"

Niou raised an eyebrow before smiling again. "Yeah... that's it. Sure it is. Now, find yourself a partner."

Ryouma beamed and looked around quickly before latching onto Jackal's arm. "Shiny-niisan is closest!"

"ME?!"

.

Sanada sighed to himself for the millionth time as he stood idly next to Yukimura, watching over the tennis members practice. He then glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes before practice ended... Sanada sighed, raising his head and looking around the court for Ryouma. He quickly caught sight of him on the Doubles court, latched onto Jackal's arm. Sanada raised an eyebrow, but didn't do anything. Some time later he found himself to be a little too edgy. What was Ryouma doing? Had he gained his memories back yet? Or was his condition worsening? He continued to stand idly when Yukimura suddenly elbowed him, flashing him a gentle smile. "Genichirou... why don't you go check on Echizen-kun? I can handle the rest of practice."

"Yukimura - "

"Genichirou. Go check on him." Yukimura pressed on firmly, and Sanada nodded stiffly. "Yes... okay."

Just as he began to make his way to the Doubles court, something in his pocket vibrated. It was his smart phone, which he had left in his pocket in case Tezuka needed to tell him anything else. It would've been highly helpful if Tezuka gave some hints, but he probably would've assumed that since Rikkai was _so_ superior, they would be able to figure something out themselves. Sanada pulled the smart phone out, remembering to swipe the right way.

 _ **HOW IS ETCH-N-SKETCH?**_

 _ **SORRY. I TURND ON AUTOCORRCT. D OE S NUT HLEP. I MENT HOW IS ECHIEN? ECHIZEN.**_

 **I D NOT KNW. I AM G OIN G TO CHEK ON HIM NOW.**

 _ **AH. THANK YOU. REMEMBER, YOU BRING HIM BAK LA TER.**_

Tezuka stopped replying, and Sanada sighed, rubbing his eyes. He paced towards the Doubles court, where he observed that a match was currently being played. Niou and Yagyuu against... Ryouma and Jackal? That was an odd pairing. Did Ryouma even know how to play Doubles? Sanada wandered over to the sidelines, standing next to Yanagi. "And how did _this_ happen?"

"Echizen-kun wished to play against Doubles 1, and Jackal was the person closest to him."

"Hm." Sanada watched with light amusement. This would most definitely end in disaster. And, it did. When Ryouma threw the ball up to serve, he had ended up comically swinging towards Jackal, whacking a tennis ball to his head. Jackal could only sigh, knowing that Ryouma was still amnesic, but honestly, he could only get rammed with balls so many times in a row. Then when the ball had been hit to Jackal's side of the court, Ryouma had gotten in the way, once again accidentally hitting Jackal (who was thankfully _extremely_ patient, had it been Kirihara or someone of the like, Ryouma would've been given no mercy at that point). Then Ryouma couldn't seem to know where to run, where to swing, how to work with Jackal, and it was blatantly clear that Ryouma sucked at Doubles and clearly didn't know how to play.

Jackal taught him as they played, yes, guiding him and giving him tips, however it was as though Ryouma in a rare case just naturally _sucked_ at playing Doubles. His Doubles play was absolutely horrendous, thought Sanada, despite the fact that he himself was more of a Singles player, he could see why Ryouma never played Doubles. He had once heard a rumor that Ryouma played Doubles in an official match before, he and his partner just winning by a small miracle, but he never imagined to see Ryouma play Doubles with his own eyes. All the while Kirihara cackled, too entertained with the sight, and Marui could barely contain his own laughter. It would be just moments later that Ryouma would turn to Jackal, shouting, "MOMO-SENPAI, YOU CAN BE A LITTLE LESS USELESS AND TRY TO PLAY LIKE YOU MEAN IT, Y'KNOW...!"

The Rikkai regulars fell silent. Had he just called Jackal 'Momo-senpai'? That was when Ryouma blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "Ah, I'm sorry, Shiny-niisan... that just came out of my mouth... I don't know why I said that mean thing... I'm sorry..."

"No... it's okay...?" Jackal replied, waving his hand. His eyes then widened, and he pointed behind Ryouma. "ECHIZEN-KUN, WATCH OUT!"

Ryouma turned around, blinking. "What is i - "

He didn't even finish asking his question, because by then, he had already been knocked unconscious by a tennis ball.

.

When Ryouma awoke in a soft white bed, he looked around. He moaned, rubbing his aching head and sitting up. His eyesight was still woozy, however he could still at least see somewhat clearly. He looked around the almost-spinning room, not recognizing it. It definitely wasn't Seigaku's clinic, so where was he? He rubbed his aching eyes, almost getting out of the bed when he heard doors slide open. He looked towards the noise to see a white-haired male with a rat-tail and a brown-haired male wearing glasses. They both looked at him, and the brown-haired one smiled politely. "Ah, Echizen-kun, you are awake. How are you feeling?"

"Uh..." He stared at them. "Aren't you two from... um, Rikkai, isn't it?"

They blinked in surprise, exchanging looks, then looking back at him. The white-haired one, the name Niou immediately coming to Ryouma's mind, nodded. "Yeah, we're from Rikkai. So what, you don't remember anything? Nothing at all?"

"What? What are you talking about? Where the hell am I?" Ryouma murmured, wincing when he felt the back of his head sting for a moment. The brown-haired one that Ryouma suddenly knew as Yagyuu cleared his throat. "It seems that... you are back to normal. Hm. Kirihara-kun's theory was... ironically correct. Perhaps we are really just the work of some strange person's illogical imagination."

"Yeah... okay. But that doesn't answer my question, Yagyuu-niisa - what the hell?" Ryouma made a face. Was he just about to call that guy 'Yagyuu-niisan'? Weird. The person's name was obviously Yagyuu, because he then smiled. "Well... you at least haven't _completely_ forgotten. So then, Echizen-kun, I should have you know that earlier today you came onto Rikkai grounds. It seems that Sanada-kun gave you a bit of a scare - "

"Tch. Sure he did."

" - ahem, it seems that he had _surprised_ you, and you fell down the stairs and, well... knocked your head."

That was when the one that Ryouma knew as Niou stepped up, smirking. "Thanks to me you're not dead, cause I stopped you from rolling down those dangerous steps. When you woke up you had amnesia, and your jerky-stoic captain made it Rikkai's duty to return your memories. We could've done ourselves, if it hadn't been for the fact that you weren't dawdling on the court when I hit that last ball. By the way, me and Yagyuu won. Two-games to love. How do you feel?"

Ryouma scoffed. "Had it been Singles, I'd have won..."

He was starting to remember. From the moment he woke up in the Rikkai clinic for the first time, to... his eyes widened.

 _To calling everyone's surname with a 'niisan', hiding behind Yanagi-san like a child, wearing Yukimura-san's jersey and smelling it, calling Yukimura-san pretty, hugging Kirihara and CUDDLING him, calling Marui-san amazing, then latching himself onto Jackal-san's arm and begging him to play Doubles with him._

Ryouma covered his face in despair. "... Oh my GOD, someone kill me before I do it myself..."

"Oh, it seems that he remembers."

"Yep." Niou nodded. "Come on. Since you've gotten your memories back, we gotta bring you back to Seigaku."

Oh yes, Ryouma was extremely _eager_ to return back to his wonderful little school. Where he didn't hug his senpai and address them as 'niisan', or wear the captain's jersey, smelling it and telling him that he was pretty. Where he wouldn't tackle the second-years and cuddle with them. Where he could save himself a thousand years worth of humiliation. He stood up with shaky legs, looking for his cap. When he couldn't find it, he looked to the two Rikkai students for answers. "My cap? Where's my cap?"

"Sanada has it."

"Ugh... that's just so great, _he_ has it." Ryouma spat out distastefully. He started walking out the door. "Someone just kill me... just take a knife and stab me... I don't care just _someone_ kill me..."

Niou and Yagyuu yet again exchanged looks before Niou shrugged. Yagyuu, though, he smiled and began following the adolescent. "I must say, he's quite bitter when he's not amnesic. But I don't really mind all that much."

"Either way, he's still a brat, y'know."

"I imagined that you'd say something like that."

* * *

 **LAST CHAPTER, THEN THE INDIVIDUAL ENDINGS WILL BE COMING.  
**

 **Just because ya'll have always been supporting me, and being great, great, GREAT readers, who's ending do you want to see first? And should there be an additional threesome ending (I'll only do one, though, because I have another story I really, really want to write!)**


	5. Bunta Marui

Once the group of three had returned to the front of the school, where the rest of the tennis club was waiting for the holy arrival of Ryouma Echizen, Ryouma immediately sped towards Sanada, swiping his Fila cap out of the male's broad hand. He stuffed it onto his head impatiently, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and wordlessly began to rush to get off-campus. It was just then that he was suddenly pulled back by the collar, and forced to face the rest of the club. Ryouma frowned and writhed, trying to get Sanada to let go. "What are you doing, you brute, let go of my shirt!"

"Not quite yet, Echizen..." Sanada sighed, and looked to Yukimura. "Yukimura."

"Echizen-kun, we can't send you back home without assistance you know. It's dangerous for a boy your age to be out and about. You might not even have all of your memories back." Yukimura explained, smiling ever so innocently. If Ryouma could, he'd beat Yukimura with his tennis racquet til _he_ was the amnesic one. Yukimura then walked towards the capped-boy, pulling his cheek. "And you know, you weren't even going to thank us, or say good-bye. That's rude, and after all we did to help you..."

 _"Thank you,_ now let me go!" Ryouma growled, continuing to struggle against Sanada's titan-hold on his shirt. Yukimura tilted his head and said nothing, instead turning around and gazing at his fellow teammates around him. He stared at each of them for a few minutes, even at Sanada, until he finally cracked a soft smirk and loudly announced...

 **"Marui.** You interacted with Echizen-kun the least. I'm counting on you to get Echizen-kun back home safe and sound."

Ryouma nearly died right then and there. But Marui didn't seem to notice, he simply rocked on his heels and let out an enormous sigh. Oh, if he was going to say that Ryouma was being a waste of his time Ryouma would be one-hundred percent sure to repeat that _Marui_ was a waste of _his_ time. Honestly, he got his memories back, why couldn't they just leave him alone now? Sanada then let go of Ryouma once Marui was close enough to follow him. "Let's go Echizen, your Seigaku bros are waiting for you."

"Could you be any more obnoxious?"

"I only said one sentence and you already think I'm annoying?"

"You wouldn't believe."

"Yukimura, I'm not gonna get along with this kid."

"You're going, Marui."

"Fine then, but if he ends up in a ditch - "

"We'll cover it up as an accident, trust me, I've practiced, now just _go."_

"Fine, fine..." Marui sighed, and glared at Ryouma. "You're really rude, y'know."

Ryouma rolled his eyes. "So I've heard."

The two then walked off Rikkai campus, going down the sidewalk towards town, where the nearest bus stop would be. Marui never stopped talking for the most part, he kept on telling Ryouma stories about how he created certain tennis moves, why he created them, and how he won games using them. He also never seemed to shut up about Akaya Kirihara and Kuwahara Jackal. He endlessly chatted up stories of how they did stuff, said stuff, ate stuff, etc. Ryouma kind of wanted to demand that he shut that trap of his, but at the same time, he didn't really want to just stand in awkward silence with the redhead. Besides, Ryouma had a hunch that even if he told Marui to shut up, he probably wouldn't. So, the emerald-haired boy just let him talk to his heart's content.

" - and then I told that Ba-kaya that he can't just stuff tennis balls into toi - " Marui then suddenly stopped talking, his eyes going wide. Ryouma raised an eyebrow, trying to see what he was looking at. And, it was... just a pastry shop. A simple pastry shop. Marui seemed to ponder for just a bit, raising a hand to his chin, as though he were trying to figure something out. And Ryouma had a deep, intense feeling that his return to Seigaku was going to be _heavily_ delayed. In retaliation to his coming fate, Ryouma tried to high-tail it out of there as fast as he could - only to be pulled back in place by the collar.

"Come on Echizen, I bet you've never had a single sweet thing in your sad little life before. Might as well start now." Marui sent him a bright grin, ignoring the death glare Ryouma was giving him. Ryouma knew he had crazy senpai, but Rikkai upperclassmen were _off the charts._ Honestly, what made that Seiichi Yukimura believe that Ryouma wasn't perfectly capable of returning to Seigaku alone? He was more than capable, actually. MORE CAPABLE THAN RETURNING BACK TO SEIGAKU WITH BUNTA MARUI.

But alas, he was dragged into that damn pastry shop against his will, and spent about six minutes waiting for Marui to order the cakes and finally get them. Once they exited the bakery, Marui opened his pastry box and took out a single cake, handing it to Ryouma. It was obvious that he wanted Ryouma to take it, but Ryouma didn't really like sweets in the first place. He turned his head away, and sighed. "What are you? A ki - mmmh!"

Marui had stuffed the pastry into Ryouma's mouth, forcing him to take a bite. It was a strawberry shortcake. Ryouma frowned and shoved Marui's arm away, but still held the strawberry shortcake in his hand. There was a moment of silence when Ryouma tried to wipe the frosting away from his mouth, but he was distracted with Marui suddenly laughed. He pulled a few napkins out of the box and handed them to Ryouma, grinning. "Here. It's like, all over your face."

Ryouma frowned and swiped the napkins from Marui's hand, eyes narrowed. "... Thank you."

Marui hid a smile, averting his purple eyes. "No problem. So how's the cake?"

"... It's good."

"What?"

"I SAID IT'S GOOD, NOW HURRY UP BEFORE WE MISS THE LAST BUS!"

Ryouma suddenly began to speed up, ignoring Marui's protests. But throughout it all, Marui couldn't help but to laugh. So even the restored Ryouma still had a bit of a cute side to him.

 **\- Epilogue -**

"Hey, Bunta, Echizen's here again. He's been coming here watching you a lot, lately."

Marui stopped his swinging for a moment, and turned to look towards where Niou had been pointing. Sure enough, standing behind the fences and watching Marui from afar, was Ryouma Echizen. He had been visiting often lately. After Marui accompanied back to Seigaku, making short comments about how Ryouma acknowledged his amazingness, Ryouma began coming to Rikkai. He never spoke to anyone, or even challenged anyone. He just watched Marui. Marui didn't necessarily mind, though. It wasn't like Ryouma was really doing anything wrong.

Eventually Ryouma turned around and left, and Marui was... admittedly a little down. He never told anyone else, but rather enjoyed Ryouma's watching him from afar. Practice continued for a few more minutes before it finally ended. Marui quickly changed back into his school uniform, then rushing out the door. Today there was gonna be a new cake at the bakery, and Marui wanted to take a look at it. He said goodbye to the others, and began on his way to his favorite pastry shop. But as soon as he exited the school gates, right beside him waiting against the brick wall was him... Ryouma.

Marui stared at him for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "Well... this is a surprise. You've never waited for me before."

Ryouma averted his golden-cat eyes and shoved his hands into his pocket. "Well... that's cause I'm going to America."

"... And?"?

"I thought that maybe I'd get your number."

"For what?"

"What else do you think?!" Ryouma retorted, snorting. "So I can just stare at it?"

Marui sighed. "If you're so insistent... I'm in a rush, so I'll just write it on your hand."

He ignored Ryouma's protests and pulled out a permanent marker, forcing Ryouma to show his arm. He quickly jotted down his number before capping the marker again, smiling. "There. I'm about to go to the bakery, if you feel like coming along. We can keep talking there."

Ryouma sighed and pulled his sleeve down, averting his eyes again. "... Whatever."

Despite looking uninterested, surprisingly, Ryouma began following behind him silently. Marui shrugged, and began talking. If Ryouma was joining him on his trip, he rather it not be uncomfortable silence. And as they walked together, Ryouma lagging behind the quick-paced Marui, a question suddenly popped into Marui's head. He stopped walking for a moment, Ryouma bumping into his back. "Hey, what are you - "

"Hey, Echizen. Why have you been watching me lately?" Marui asked, genuinely curious. He turned to Ryouma with expectant eyes, as Ryouma on the other hand blushed flusteredly. He quickly turned his head. "It's nothing... really interesting..."

"Come on, just tell me!" Marui insisted, pulling Ryouma's cheeks. Ryouma pushed the redhead's arms away, glaring at him. "F-Fine then! Do you... remember when I had amnesia? And I called you amazing?"

"Yeah?" Marui nodded, raising an eyebrow. Ryouma sighed and scratched at his head. "... Well... I wanted to see if you were really amazing."

Marui blinked for a moment, then cracked a wide grin. "So? Am I? Amazing, that is?"

He leaned forward, still grinning like he won Nationals. Ryouma blinked several times before taking a step forward, their lips almost touching. Marui's eyes widened, and his smile faded, his heart now beating a thousand beats a minute. What was going on? What was Ryouma about to do? And... had he always smelled this good? Ryouma took another step forward, grabbing onto Marui's shoulders for support, whispering softly...

"I think you're - "

"HEY! IF IT ISN'T MARUI-SAN!"

The moment between Ryouma and Marui was suddenly disrupted when an extremely familiar voice broke between them. Ryouma suddenly pulled away, looking towards the owner of that voice. Marui, too, looked (he was admittedly a little irritated) to see none-other-than Jirou Akutagawa, who was waving at him excitedly. The curly-haired boy ran over to the two tennis players, blinking innocently. "Huh? Aren't you Echizen from Seigaku? Are you friends with Marui-san?"

Ryouma frowned, and pulled his white Fila cap from his bag, shoving it onto his head. "... We're not... really friends... at least I don't want to be friends with him. I'll see you later, Marui-san."

Ryouma was off on his own before Marui could even process what was happening, and the capped boy was already rushing the opposite direction once Marui was about to pull him back. The redhead sighed and turned to Jirou, raising an eyebrow. "Well? Do _you_ wanna get some cake with me?"

"Huh? Sure!" Jirou beamed, before his eyes widened again. "Oh... Echizen-san said that he didn't want to be friends with you. So why was he getting so close to you? Was he asking you something?"

Marui took a moment to think over Jirou's words, before what Ryouma had said re-entered his mind.

 _"... We're not... really friends... at least I don't want to be friends with him..."_

It took another long moment of hard thinking before Marui finally understood what Ryouma had been implying. And in a few seconds, Marui's cheeks were flushing even redder than the shade of his own hair. He covered his mouth, purple eyes widening. Jirou noticed the new expression Marui's face, and began to panic. "A-Ah! Did I say something wrong?!"

"It's nothing! Let's just go, I really need some cake now!"

"O-Okay?!"

"... I can't believe it! I just let him get away! What is wrong with me?!" Marui murmured under his breath. By tomorrow, Ryouma would probably on his way back to America. Then the next time they would meet again, Marui was sure... he definitely wouldn't let the boy get away.

* * *

 **a/n:  
**

 **I'm sorry if this is horrible or it seems rushed, but I haven't updated in a while, and ever since I started high school a week ago I've been really unproductive. Anyways, thank you all for reading, faving, following! :DDDD**

 **So, who do you guys want to see next?**


	6. Gen'ichirou Sanada

Once the group of three had returned to the front of the school, where the rest of the tennis club was waiting for the holy arrival of Ryouma Echizen, Ryouma immediately sped towards Sanada, swiping his Fila cap out of the male's broad hand. He stuffed it onto his head impatiently, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and wordlessly began to rush to get off-campus. It was just then that he was suddenly pulled back by the collar, and forced to face the rest of the club. Ryouma frowned and writhed, trying to get Sanada to let go. "What are you doing, you brute, let go of my shirt!"

"Not quite yet, Echizen..." Sanada sighed, and looked to Yukimura. "Yukimura."

"Echizen-kun, we can't send you back home without assistance you know. It's dangerous for a boy your age to be out and about. You might not even have all of your memories back." Yukimura explained, smiling ever so innocently. If Ryouma could, he'd beat Yukimura with his tennis racquet til _he_ was the amnesic one. Yukimura then walked towards the capped-boy, pulling his cheek. "And you know, you weren't even going to thank us, or say good-bye. That's rude, and after all we did to help you..."

 _"Thank you,_ now let me go!" Ryouma growled, continuing to struggle against Sanada's titan-hold on his shirt. Yukimura tilted his head and said nothing, instead turning around and gazing at his fellow teammates around him. He stared at each of them for a few minutes, even at Sanada, until he finally cracked a soft smirk and loudly announced...

 **"Gen'ichirou.** I'm trusting you to get Echizen back to Seigaku safely."

Ryouma immediately halted his fussy behavior, and stared at Yukimura incredulously. Did he just...? He totally just sent the OLD GUY to accompany him to Seigaku. It was official, the captain of Rikkai's tennis club was an absolute LUNATIC if he thought that old man Sanada would be the perfect candidate to take a 12-year-old back to his middle school. Sanada on the other hand didn't seem the slightest bothered, and he instead sighed and folded his arms. "Well, let us depart, Echizen. The quicker we get you back to Seigaku, the better."

Ryouma rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Oh believe me, the quicker I get away from you, it'll be ALL THE BETTER."

Sanada pursed his lips and clenched his fists. _Relax, Geni'ichirou... he's just a twelve year old... he's just a twelve year old... he's just a -_

"Are we going to go now or do you need some more time to sleep while standing? Cause oh yeah, I'm also totally chill with just standing next to you all afternoon." Ryouma called out, snapping Sanada out of his calming trance. Sanada, with all his willpower, successfully avoided lashing out at the adolescent and instead began briskly walking. "If _you_ don't hurry up, you'll be the only one left standing here."

Ryouma frowned and quickly caught up with Sanada. "Don't get all cocky..."

"You're the one who started it." Sanada retorted.

The walk off campus and to the bus stop was, in a nut shell, uneventful for the most part. The two junior high students barely talked to each other and when they did, it always ended in snarky comments and insults. Yes, there was nothing at all cute about that Ryouma Echizen and there was nothing at all cool about that Gen'ichirou Sanada. But still...

Ryouma sighed and glanced at the taller male, whom was rather calm and simply standing still. The boy had to admit... Sanada was cool in a sense. He was tall, muscular, and reserved. Though his temper was something that shouldn't be played with by anyone (except maybe a certain sadistic bluenet), Sanada was still utterly strong and level-headed. He was completely different from the dour Tezuka, despite the two having so many similarities. Also... even though Ryouma won the match, playing against Sanada was incredibly fun and worthwhile.

Sanada seemed to notice the adolescent staring, and sighed. "What? Is this some new form of annoyance you've created? In any case, just let me tell you now that no form of staring will bother me because I am already used to it."

"It's not that..." Ryouma muttered with a pout. Sanada raised an eyebrow at that. "If it isn't that, then what is it?"

Ryouma's cheeks flushed as he found that no answer would come up, and he wasn't going to under any circumstances tell _Sanada_ that he looked cool any time soon. "You just... I... er, I was just... just forget about it!"

The boy continued to stand and watch cars pass by before Sanada suddenly spoke up. "Echizen... this weekend, would you like to play some tennis with me?"

Ryouma's eyes lit up with a passionately-burning fire. Though the excitement did not show too obviously on his young face, when Sanada turned to gaze at the boy, he could sense his adrenaline. Ryouma didn't even need to think about it. But, the boy quickly composed himself and turned his attention back onto the street. "Are you sure? I just might beat you again."

"Oh believe me, I have grown stronger since Kantou."

With a smirk, Ryouma was about to make a snide comment when the sound of an approaching vehicle stopped him. Looking to his left, he could see the bus. As it came close, he turned to Sanada and smirked again.

Sanada was admittedly a little stunned, then. The boy's golden eyes shone so brightly, the orange-red hues of the sunset giving him a soft hazy glow, as though he were the product of a beautiful painting. Ryouma then opened that little mouth of his, saying, "You know, Sanada, I think I really - "

The screeching of the bus interrupted the boy's words, and all Sanada could see were the lips of Echizen mouthing silent words. He couldn't even figure out what Ryouma was mouthing. When the bus came to a stop, Ryouma quickly boarded the opening doors, and Sanada had to quickly ask before the bus could leave. "Wait, Echizen, what did you say?"

Ryouma blinked, and smiled slyly. "Sorry, it's a onetime thing only. Maybe if you weren't so old, you'd have heard."

With that, the bus doors closed and Sanada was left to ponder. Ryouma sat by the window and waved to Sanada, still smiling that god-awful smirk. He mouthed something again, and this time, Sanada could've sworn... he could've sworn he saw the boy mouth, 'like'. He stared at Ryouma until the bus pulled away, and continued staring as the bus soon became nothing but a small shape slowly leaving him to himself.

"... Perhaps it was my imagination."

 **\- Epilogue -**

It seemed that every other Sunday, Ryouma and Sanada would meet at the tennis courts in secrecy. Of course, it was just to play some tennis, but then they'd also hang around with one another until one of them decided it was time to part ways for the day.

They never really told anyone else, there was no reason to, and they never really had a problem. Every time they played it would end in a draw, but if Ryouma was feeling spiteful he would let Sanada win on purpose, for the sole reason that it pissed the teenager off. But on this particular day... Sanada won the match. He was initially angry, and stormed over to Ryouma, who was sitting on the bench. Once the taller male was standing directly in front of him, he folded his arms and glared down at the boy darkly. "And what exactly have I said about pitying me?"

Ryouma raised an eyebrow and said nothing. "... I wasn't trying to bother you on purpose this time."

At this, Sanada scoffed and stared at the boy. "So then what was it?"

Ryouma sighed and lied back against the bench, tilting his head up staring at the vast blue clouds and the thin clouds passing by. A long moment of silence before he softly murmured, "... I'll be leaving to America pretty soon. And while we were playing, there was something that I couldn't get off my mind... and it became even more and more irritating. At that point, I was so distracted you'd have won even if I didn't stop trying."

"And?" Sanada murmured, glancing at him. Ryouma sat up, and then stood on the bench. The two didn't really do anything, or say anything, as they just stood in front of each other making eye contact. It was only a second later did Ryouma lean forward, perfectly eye level with the vice-captain since he was standing on the bench. "And... I wanted to give you something before this week ends."

In a moments notice, Ryouma covered Sanada's eyes with hand one hand, wrapping one arm around the bigger male as he leaned forward, pressing his smaller body against him. In another fleeting moment, Ryouma lightly pecked Sanada's lips before he suddenly pulled away, jumping down from the bench and picking up his things. He turned around to see a wide-eyed Sanada, still frozen in place from shock. With a smirk, Ryouma gleefully ran off, calling out, "We'll meet again!"

Sanada snapped back to reality at that, but once he turned to gaze at Ryouma the boy was already so far off. It would've been useless to run after him. So, Sanada was left to stare at the boy as he ran further away... just like the time when the bus drew off into the sunset, the soundless words Ryouma said that day retreating with it.

With a small scoff, Sanada turned to see that Ryouma's cap was still perched on the seat, abandoned. He must've forgotten it. The vice-captain hesitantly picked it up, staring at it for a bit, before awkwardly pressing his lips against the top of the cap. The male wasn't one to believe in that silly romantic and spiritual crap most girls believed in, but... this was the closest he would get to catching that running boy.

* * *

 **A/N:  
**

 **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA - I'M SORRY, THIS CHAPTER TURNED OUT LESS COMEDIC AND MORE SERIOUS...! DEAR LORD, I'M REALLY SORRY, I'VE BEEN SO FAR AWAY FROM THIS SERIES, JUST JESUS LORD...!**

 **Anyways, I hope that you guys still enjoyed this because I rather like how I ended it. So, it's up to YOU to determine whether or not Sanada finally "catches" Ryouma, hehe...!**

 **Anyways, sorry for the delay (writer's block is a bitch), and I hope you all enjoy! Thank you for your support, and don't forget to review!**


	7. Akaya Kirihara

Once the group of three had returned to the front of the school, where the rest of the tennis club was waiting for the holy arrival of Ryouma Echizen, Ryouma immediately sped towards Sanada, swiping his Fila cap out of the male's broad hand. He stuffed it onto his head impatiently, avoiding eye contact with anyone, and wordlessly began to rush to get off-campus. It was just then that he was suddenly pulled back by the collar, and forced to face the rest of the club. Ryouma frowned and writhed, trying to get Sanada to let go. "What are you doing, you brute, let go of my shirt!"

"Not quite yet, Echizen..." Sanada sighed, and looked to Yukimura. "Yukimura."

"Echizen-kun, we can't send you back home without assistance you know. It's dangerous for a boy your age to be out and about. You might not even have all of your memories back." Yukimura explained, smiling ever so innocently. If Ryouma could, he'd beat Yukimura with his tennis racquet til _he_ was the amnesic one. Yukimura then walked towards the capped-boy, pulling his cheek. "And you know, you weren't even going to thank us, or say good-bye. That's rude, and after all we did to help you..."

 _"Thank you,_ now let me go!" Ryouma growled, continuing to struggle against Sanada's titan-hold on his shirt. Yukimura tilted his head and said nothing, instead turning around and gazing at his fellow teammates around him. He stared at each of them for a few minutes, even at Sanada, until he finally cracked a soft smirk and loudly announced...

 **"Akaya.** I think I can trust you to keep Echizen safe. Will you be able to do it?"

Ryouma could've sworn that his stomach just dropped. He stared at Yukimura with his wide, golden eyes that clearly screamed insults and "ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?". Kirihara on the other hand wasn't doing much better, either. He, too, looked at his captain with incredible disbelief. "W-Wait, Captain, let's not be so hasty - "

"Nonsense, Akaya, you'll be able to handle it." Yukimura chuckled, folding his arms. Ryouma raised his eyebrows, and continued to stare at Yukimura with an utmost flabbergasted expression. Kirihara gulped and glanced between the adolescent boy and his sadistic captain, the distress the two clearly expressed going over the bluenet's head. "Well? You two can't just stand there forever, get a move on."

"B-But... I... captain... fine." Kirihara sighed, and began to grumble to himself as he trudged down the stairs. Ryouma gulped, and reluctantly followed down after the seaweed-head. He wasn't under _any_ circumstances scared of the upperclassman, but he didn't exactly feel like dealing with the annoying guy's antics. Unfortunately, it seemed that Kirihara was anything _but_ the silent-type. He talked and talked endlessly, ranting about his upperclassmen Marui and Jackal, never stopping for a single breath (Ryouma was honestly impressed).

Eventually Ryouma had enough, and finally snapped, "Why do you talk so much? We're not even that close!"

Kirihara stopped, and fell silent. Ryouma paused as well, and for a moment he was positive that he had offended the seaweed-head and was now going to get killed for it when Kirihara instead shrugged, much to Ryouma's surprise. He turned around and gazed at him with his deep, emerald eyes. "You know, if you didn't really care, you wouldn't have listened in the first place."

Ryouma blinked, taking a moment to let Kirihara's words sink in before his cheeks flushed. "Wh-Wha... well... well, you were just talking so much, it was impossible for me not to listen!"

"I don't think I'm _that_ annoying."

"But you are."

"Well, it's not like you're any better." Kirihara frowned. He knew about Ryouma's reputation as the world's worst brat, and he was starting to realize just how true it was. If Kirihara survived this, he was expecting a shiny gold medal. Ryouma didn't reply to him, fortunately, and instead focused on the setting sun.

"Hey, Echizen..."

"Hm?"

"Are you able to remember what happened while you were amnesic?"

"Little bits and pieces." Ryouma replied nonchalantly, turning his attention to the upperclassman and raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to forget the conversation you and I had." Kirihara replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets. With creased brows and pursed lips, his cheeks were tinted pink and he confidently (at least, he hoped it was confidently) turned to Ryouma, declaring, "I want you to remember that the match we had before, that wasn't the real me!"

Ryouma admittedly remembered that conversation. He also remembered his cringe-worthy behavior, but no matter, he'd forget that soon enough. With a wide grin, he fixed his cap and fixed Kirihara a challenging stare. "So? Why don't you show me the 'real' you next time? I'll be waiting."

Kirihara glared at the boy with the most fiery, determined eyes and nodded. "Challenge accepted, then."

Just then, the sounds of an arriving bus broke the moment between them. The two turned to stare at the approaching vehicle, and Ryouma's grin softened. "You know... you're not that bad a guy, Kirihara-san."

Kirihara's emerald eyes widened, and he returned the playful smirk with one of his own. "Don't expect me to say the same thing, Echizen."

"Tch." Ryouma pulled his cap down as he watched the bus pull up. When the bus doors opened, he stepped inside, but before he fully entered the bus he paused and turned back to Kirihara one last time.

"I'll see you again then, Kirihara-san."

 **\- epilogue -**

"This is your fault, y'know."

"This is anything but my fault."

"You made me mad."

"You did it that on your own free will."

"..."

"You're even more of a brat than I am."

"Am not!"

Ryouma smiled to himself as he watched Kirihara try to piece his broken racquet together again, uselessly sticking the broken grip back to it's head. It was a nice Sunday evening, and the sun was almost setting. He and Kirihara had been playing together, one last 'fun' match before he left to America again, and Ryouma just won 4 out of 6 games, thus winning and leaving Kirihara to whine over his loss. Out of pure irritation, Kirihara ended up hurling his racquet to the ground, which was why it was currently snapped in half.

"You know, if you're not such a baby all the time, you could have avoided this." Ryouma mused, fanning himself with his cap. Kirihara stared at the boy with a pout, but also still a bit entranced by how irregularly handsome he looked during sunset. This wasn't the only time Ryouma looked beautiful, though... Kirihara was starting to notice more and more over time just how winsome Ryouma could be sometimes.

"Like you're one to talk... you win all the time." Kirihara murmured, unable to tear his eyes away from Ryouma. Ryouma glanced at Kirihara, and their eyes made contact for the quickest second. Like a charge of lightening shot thorough them both at the same time, they quickly looked away from each other.

There was a long moment of silence before Kirihara asked, "When will you be coming back?"

"I don't know."

"Well..." He turned to Ryouma, and admired him for one last time before throwing all sense out the window. He grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him close, gently kissing his cheek. "Don't keep me waiting, Echizen. I still want that match."

With that, he began to walk away, leaving Ryouma in a state of shock. And it wasn't until Kirihara was fully done packing up did he turn back around... only to see where Ryouma was previously, was empty now. He must've ran off or something. With a sigh, he wanted to punch himself for doing that out of nowhere. Kirihara wasn't going to deny it. After some time of meeting together for matches, he had somewhat fell for that damn Seigaku brat... and because of his stupid impulses, he probably scared the boy away.

"Well... I better - "

 _Bzzt. Bzzt._

 _A text?_

Kirihara raised an eyebrow and took his cell out of his pocket, flipping it open. It was from Ryouma.

 **I'll see you again, Akaya. And I'm going to get payback for what you did to me... my chest hurts really bad, because of you.**

His chest was hurting? Kirihara almost burst into laughter. That was the most cheesiest thing Ryouma could have come up with! With a small grin, Kirihara picked up his bag and began to walk off the court. He would definitely see that brat again soon, he was positive of it.


End file.
